After five minutes of walking, the two finally arrived at their destination.
Chief Wang stepped inside first, with Ryu following close behind.
"It looks nice," Ryu remarked.
The restaurant was modest in appearance. There was no proper front door, only an open entrance leading inside. A wooden counter stood opposite the entrance, with several simple tables scattered throughout the room. Hanging above the counter was a menu filled with unfamiliar dishes.
Chief Wang lowered himself into a chair with a heavy sigh.
"Haaah... This old man is really reaching his limits."
Ryu looked at him with an oddly nervous expression.
"..."
The old man raised an eyebrow.
"What? Is something wrong?"
Ryu took a deep breath.
"I don't have any money."
"..."
Chief Wang stared at him for several seconds.
Then he burst into laughter.
"You're a guest in this village, young man," he said between laughs.
"Did you really think I didn't know you had no money? You look like a homeless man!"
His laughter only grew louder.
"…Okay. I'm glad."
That answer somehow made the old man laugh even harder.
"You're glad?!"
"Yes."
"Jehahahah! Goodness, I'm too old to be laughing this much! I might actually die! Ahahahaha!"
He slammed his palm onto the table, tears beginning to form at the corners of his eyes.
Eventually, his laughter subsided enough for him to speak.
"Tell me then, young man..."
Though the smile remained, curiosity had overtaken it.
"How did you manage to kill that thing?"
His eyes sparkled with excitement, like a scholar standing on the verge of an incredible discovery.
"You had no weapon. No advantage. In fact, you were chained to it!"
Ryu answered without the slightest hint of pride.
"I killed it using a log."
Silence.
"…A log?"
Chief Wang frowned.
"You don't need to lie, young man."
How could anyone believe such a thing?
A monster like that...
Killed with nothing but a log?
The old man looked more bewildered than ever.
"I'd sooner believe you came back from the dead than believe you killed that anomaly with a log!"
Just give me food...
"Old man," Ryu said in his usual flat tone, "can you please just give me something to eat? I might actually die if I don't."
There wasn't even a trace of embarrassment in his voice.
It was as though he had been born without the ability to feel shame.
Chief Wang snorted.
"Have you no shame? You're asking for food when you won't even answer a simple question about your own name!"
His tone was teasing rather than reproachful.
"We even treated your shoulder... and cut your chain in half!"
Ryu glanced at the iron shackle around his ankle.
"…You didn't remove it, old man. You just cut the chain shorter."
His voice gradually became laced with frustration.
"And the only reason my shoulder needed treatment is because your people shot an arrow through it."
Chief Wang stroked his beard before giving an exaggerated cough.
"Ahem... Well... it wasn't that deep..."
Ryu stared at him.
"…."
"Alright, alright!" the old man surrendered, waving both hands.
"This old man understands! Just wait a little longer. Your food is on its way, you ill-mannered brat!"
Finally...
Ryu let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"Old man..."
"Hm?"
"I have a question."
Hearing the change in Ryu's tone, Chief Wang's expression grew noticeably more serious.
"Yes?"
"I'll answer it if I can."
Ryu drew another slow breath.
This one carried exhaustion.
Uncertainty.
Worry.
"Please…"
He looked directly into the old chief's eyes.
"Tell me..."
"Where are we?"